Load-adjusted brake mechaniem



May 3, 1927.

. O. ANDERSON LOAD ADJUSTED BRAKE MECHANISM Filed July 26, 1926 ,2 Sheets-Sheet l May 3, 1927.

c. O. ANDERSON LOAD ADJUSTED BRAKE MECHANISM Filed July 26. 19,26 2 sheets-sheet 2 64 y 'lvcntou fijlC/as. Anderson.

l attorno.

Patented May 3, 1927.

canarias, o. aaaansoa, or* imam, amusait h p Loin-'ADJUSTED BRAKE lisltnemimsiu.-

. Appmmnmy ined July as, 195e.v serial No. ia5,24.

My, invention relateslto n railway brake mechanism, and particularly to means for automatically adjusting thebraking power, or applied braking pressure vof air-brakes, according` to the-load. It isthe object of Vmy invention Vto .provide l a mechanism` of y this class which` may bereadily applied tothe standard brake vrigging of freight carsand the like, and ,which Will operate to shorten the travelof the brake-piston when theA Acar is loaded, or to permit greatertravel ofthe` brake-piston when the car Vis empty. fur-` ther object of my invention is to provide, in a mechanism of this class means for auto,- matically compensating for variations in the relationnof the car-body to the Wheels,

or unsprungl lportion .of the trucks, other than those caused by loading of the car. Such variations arecausedby'sag orperma- Vnent shorteningjof the ,truck-springs. by Wear and deformations ofthe truck-frames,

by shimming up of the spring-seats toaline the car-couplers, by swaying and jo'ltmg of thecarat/bile` in transitby uneven ldistribui- L tion of theload uponthe'car, or by com.-

' binations of these various causes; yand my invention provides means whereby any of suchA variations are automatically compensated, and so that the adjustment of braking power4 will be effected solely `by variations of the load, and nothy any of the several accidental or incidental causes Which may result in either momentarily.. or permanentlyhfanging the relation ofthe car-'body ,tothe unsprung portion'of the truck. A Afurther object of my invention isto provide mea-risenablingf`V v aproper operation of the load-controlled adjusting mechanism when a car is loaded 4or unloaded While' the brakes are ap-` plied. `More particularobjec't-s of my inven` view of the power-adjusting device alone,

F ig. 3a is al detail horizontal sectionv ofgt-he 'rocker-arm on the line ofl Fig. 5, Fig. i is a horizontal axial' section ofthe poweradjus'ting device, Figs. 5 andV `6 are detail transverse sections on the lines 5-6of Figs. 3, .4 and 7, showing the positions of the parts for light and loadedoperations respectively,

Fig. 7 is -a bottom vievv ofthejdvice, show'- ing `the piositionsof the parts tvhen the brakes are .applied on an empty or lightly loadedanFig. 8 is adetail transverse section onthe line S-y-S` of'Fig. 5, andFig. 9is adetail transverse section on' the 1ine-9-9 effigie-1. .i f `1Y 7 eferrimgfto Fig. 1,- t-hereare indicated the principal portions ofthe airbralemechf anism for arailvvaykcar, said mechanism includig the brake-cylinder I11, 4the piston-'rod 12" which isV` connected With the cylinderfle verV 13, the hand-brake connectionlet` `to the end. of.the'ylinder-lever, the rod lj5 connect- .ins the. Cylinder-level with. the @finalizinglever AL6, ythe vrods 17 and 1 8 which connect theV eylinderylever and.v equalizring-lever respectiv'ely V,with thelive truck-levers 19, the rods which connect thezlve `trucklevers with, the jdead trucklevers 21,- the dead-lever .v Tuides which connecty said levers With the `-olsterfQB,the brake-beamsZi, and the sideframesI ovfuthetrucks.Vv The*carfbody 26 and Wheels 27. are represented in Fig. l by dotted lines only.

In the ordinary constructionof ,brake mechanism; ofthis type,lA that end of the l @finalizing-later 16 Opposite the @InkJet-.erconneetion 18v isnconnected pivotally with a fixed guide or fulcrum-.plate secured upon the adjacentlowerl portion of the car-body; but in applyingir my invention to the brake mechanism, said endv 4ofthe lever 16 is pivot ally ,connected `with the end Yof a rodl 28 which. extends to the loadfcgm'trolled poweradjusting device. u `The latter lis secured, to thesideof one of the sills29- of the car-body, adjacentto thebolster 3,0above one of the car-trucks, as shownin Fig.`2. f

" Referring novv moreparticularly tothe .power-adjusting device, as shown indetail mounted between said lugs 33 and 34. At

he inner-,side ofthe rocker-hub is a lug 37 which extends intojna'nv openingin the backplate,l as shown in Figs. 4t and; v9,. and serves to limit:` motion of the rocker aboutthe tubul'ar shaft 35. yAttlie outer side of the rockerh'ub is a fshort arm` 38,said arnrcarrying the Vpine 39 to which the upperend ofthe truckconnection ispivotally connected;` AtA the upper side of the rocker-hub is an armi which extends longitudinally above'the lug being threaded and, provided with an adjusting-nut 43, the innerend having a Y' rounded head 44 which engages the flexible latch-plate 45, being pressed toward the same by the coil spring -46 disposed in a counterbore in thehead as shown in Fig. 3a. The latch-plate is secured atY one end to the inner side of Vthearm 40,' and the free 'I end of the plate, adjoining the latch-pin, is

curved outwardly about the lend of the head 41. Y

A` tubular guide 47 is formed integrally with the bacleplate 3l at the end opposite the lug 33, and a rod 48 extendsslidably through said guide, said rod having `a ,reduced end-portion 49 fitting slidably Within the tubular shaft k35, which is axially alined with the guide 47. Adjacent to the reduced end 49 the rodf48 has a threaded portion which is screwed into a shouldered cylindrical nut'50. Adjoining said nut a flanged collar 51`is disposed upon the rod 48, and said collar is engaged by a large coil spring 52 which lits over the same and against the flange thereof, the longitudinal expansive force Iof said springno'rmally holding the collar against the nut and pressing the nut againstv the lug 34. l The opposite end ofthe spring 52 extends about a portion-'of the guide 47, andthe spring is partially housed by a cylindro-segmental flange 53 formed integrally .with the guide and backplate, portions of'said housing-flange being extended longitudinally to -the lug 3 4. The swivel-block 54 is disposed loosely about the Ashouldered nut 50, the length of said swivelblock being slightly less than that of the nut,` wherebyV to prevent the block being clamped longitudinally'between the lugv 34 and the flanged end of the spring-collar 5l. At its lower side the swivel-block has a lug Y 55 which extends into a longitudinal slot 56 CTI in the housing-flange 53, said lug being normally positioned in register with a notch or laterally offset portion 57 at the end of the slot Vadjoining lthe lug 34. At the upper side of the swivelblock is a lug 58,which has a beveledouter face adapted for engagement `with the latcli-platev45- Said lug 58 is Vnormally positioned inregister with a notch 59 in the upper portion of the housingniiange, at the end of thickened portion or rail 60, formed Tat the outer edge 'of said flange as shown vin Figs. 3,5 and-6. An end 52 of the spring 52 is attached to the guide 47, as shown in Fig.f4, and the other end of said'spring, designated as 527, is extended past the flange of the collar. 51 and behind the lug 58 of the swivel-block.

The spring is under aitorsional stress lsuch that the end 52 presses against the lug 58 andv tends to rotate the swiveleblock in aV clockwise direction as viewed in Figs. 5

and 6, thereby holding the lug normally inline with the slot 56, and holding the lug 58Vin front of the rail 60, or in the relations shown in Fig. 5.

The position of the swivel-block is controlled. by movements of the rocker, formed by the hub 36 and farms 38 and 40, andthe rocker Vis actuated by the tiuck :onnectionv to the pin 39 on the arm 38. Upon Vsaid pin 39 is pivoted the upper end of the clutchsleeveV 62, the lower portion ofsaid sleeve being substantially rectangulary in transverse section, and havingttherein a rectangular longitudinal opening in which is inserted the squared upper end portion of' the rod A63. Between said" rod '63V andthe sides of the opening through the sleeve 1 are Ainserted liner-strips 64 Which are held in place longi- Y tudinally by means of lugs 65 turned out# wardly at the ends thereofand engaging the ends of the sleeve. The liner`-strips are made of bronze or other non-corrosible Inetal, and serve to prevent adhesion fof the rod to the sleeve vby reason of rusting or corro-A sion ofthe contacting surfaces.` The rod iscaused to be frictionally clamped between theliner-strips by means vof a spring 66 f which vis disposed in a` cylindrical lug'67 formed at one side of the sleeve, saidsprlng engaging a saddle-block 68, as shown in Fig.

Vthe carsbody relative to the wheels'and the unsprung` portion vof the truck-frame associated therewith, causes apull upon the rod 63 vwhich turns, theY rocker to the normal position shown in Figs. 3,5 and 9.

The front or outer end ofthe rod 48 has a forked head 6l toy which the rod 28 is connected as shown inFigs. l and-.2., It will be seen that when Vthe brakes are applied, said rod 28 is placed under tension and will pull upon the rod 48, and that wheny the swivel-block 54 is in the Anormal position, shown'in Figs. 3 and 5, the pull upon said rod 48 may move the same longitudinally, compressing the spring 52, until the collar 5l` engages the end ofthe guide 47, the lu` 58 moving longitudinallyover the face ol the rail l60, and the lug 55 mov i piston in applyingxtlie brakes is proportionally increased, an'd the increased piston; travel causes a corresponding reduction` of brake-cylinderpressure. The brake meehenism as n whole is so proportioned that under `the conditions abover mentioned `the braking power is 'suittlile for thexenipty our, thej usual practice .for freight ears being to provide when the brakes are fully pplied a braliefslioe" pressure equal to about 70% of the weight ofthe cnr".

`Wlienthe car is loaded, and thev` truck# springs thereby eonipres'sed, so thatthe upward tlir'i'ist of the rod 68 moves the rocker to the` position showlij in' Fig; 6', the lsttc'h'-y plate lis pressed against the, lu 58 ofthe swivel-block, and the latter is t ""ere'by'v ro:- tated to-afpositifon at which said lug 58 enters the notch 59 andthe lug 55 enters the notch 57." Then, upon the pplieationof the brakes, longitudinal movement' of the rods 28y and y48 risv I'i'refen'tedl (or limited `to the slight'cleetranoe between the sWiVel-lugsand theside's `of 4the 'notches and 59), the' full eruni` of' theV lever 16 is thus kept substane tially stationary, the piston-travel required to applythe brakes is oorrespoiii'iir'igly re duced, the shortened piston-travel vCauses less expansion and correspondingly greater pres-` sure of the air admitted to the brake-eylin; der, eind there is u resultinv inere'ase of brkin'g power.v The faices` o? the lugs and 58f which engage the sides of the nothes v 57 and 59 are slightly beveled, and the corresponding sides of the notches are slightly undercut,v so tlizitthe pull fromthe rod 48 upon the swivebblook tends "to "canse the lugs to enter the noteli'esinore deeply rather than to be witlidrawn therefrom. Should the brakes be' applied Whenth'e car is empty or lightly loaded, and the' car' then loaded While the brakes are so applied, the roeker' Will be moved as'before described, but the swivel-blo`ck `Will not'be :rotu'ted thereby, becituseby the application of the brakes' on the empty car the lug 58 will have'been moved forwardly nlongrthe-ral 60; `Updifi releasing the brakes, however, after the ear has been loaded and,` the rocker thereby moved, the pointed rear end of the lug 58 will pass beneath the latchplate 45, ythebevel'ed'face of the lug pressing the plate toward the head 41, theflnteliepin 42 spring 4G being pushed outward by the plete 45, until 'the lug 58 piisses the end ofthe rail 60` and lnonies` into` register" Vwith the notch 59, whereupon Jthe-` pressre ofr the spring 46', transmittedfthrough the latch# pin' 42 and' pl'ate 415, will rotit'te the swivelL block4 to move the lugs into the-notches' 57 desirable to' inerease v'the braking and 59, thus 'placing `the udjuster in the load braking` position.Y Should the brakes be applied While the Cdr ils loaded, and the earthen be unloaded while the brakes renie-in applied, thel rocker will be moved to ,7" the normal or liglit braking positionsliown in Fig.V 5, but the engagement of the beveled edges of the lugs Sound 58 with the under'- eut sides of the-notches 57'find 59 will cause the swivel'fblock to remainin Vthe load 7.' Y

position until the brakes are again' released, whereupon the pressure of the spring-end 52 against. the lug 58 will move the swivelblock to the normaly or light position shown in Fig. 5 S v It will be understood, of course, that it is y power into the .lo'ad'?? range, only wl'ientl'ie ear isloaded heavilyV enough `Aso that the' increased braking dangers ding ofutlielwlieels when the brakesV are fully applied; end that suoli loading of the ear will compress the truck-springs suffi* Y ciently to eause varii'ttioi'is in the ear-body and trckrfijarne considerably greater than are required for actuating lthe powenadjuster. Theexeess of movement thu-s apr-ail- -able for operatingthe adjuster, enables any arrangement whip-,li will prevent the adjuster' being operatedby' momentary varia- '9 tions in the relation` of the oarhbody andV truek-frz'inle,A diie toeoiiiprees'ion and expansion of the truckesprings by swaying and' Y jolting of thejcar whilein transit, or to any similar cause.. For the purposenientioned', 100

the opening for the pin in the head 69 of the rod o3 is elongated v'ertieallyas indicated in Fig; 5, to form aslotof such length theft the transitory variations above noted will not attuate the rodl 6B, but'will merely 105 cause movements of the pin 70m the slot.Y

Permanent variations inj tlie relation of the oar-body and truck-frame, due to or shortening of the truck-springs,- wezir find deformations ofy the truekLframe, sliiinming' l up of the springseats to aline therein-oon: plers, and any similar eauses,are autom-atr-l ejally `eonipe'nsated by variations in the lengthk of the truokioonneeti-on formed by the rod 63r and eluteli-sleewe 62. The iriol tional engagement between saidpai-ts is sut l ioient to aetuate lthe i-ooker between the limits vdetermined by the engagement of the lfiig37 with' the sides of the opening there the permanent variations above mentioned, l'

will result merely in slidingof the rod through the elnteh-sleeife, after the stop-lug l'power will not' be excessive and eii- Si .for in the back-plate, and to thus operte 1 i 37 lifes engaged the respective abutment Y adjusting mechanism provides for variations of three classes in the'relative position of the Vcar-body Vand truck-frame.: First, the minor or transitory variations due to sway, j olting and the like, which vare of relatively small extent and which produce no effect except movement of the pin 70 in the headA 69 ot' the truck-connection; second, the variations due. to loading and unloading of Vthe car, which are greater in extent than the transitory variations first mentioned, and which actuate the rocker toplace the ad- 'uster in 9 load or lidht osition according to the direction in which the variation occurs; and, third, the substantially permanent variations, which are added toV or subtracted from those of the second class and thus tend" to actuate the roclzer beyondthe limits allowed by the Vstop-lug', thereby lengthening or shortening the truck-connection by changing` the relationvoiV the fricytionally connected parts thereof, so thatthe usual operations of the adjuster are effected by the loading or unloading of the car.

By the use oi the swivel-block as, anV interponent between the slidable rod i8 and the controller, formedby the rocker and truckconnection, the position of said rod 48 and.v

the brake-lever with which it is connected need not be changed by the loading or un loading of the car while the brakes are ap'- plied, and excessive stresses upon the control mechanism are, thus avoided, while completely automatic operation' of the mechanismis attained under all conditions.

tuating member and movable oppositely in direction by variations in the relationof the car-body to they unsprung portions of the truck-frame due to increase and decrease of the load upon the car, said connecting means comprising parts normally held frictionally in fixed relation but variable in relation by excess movement tending to move the actuating Vmember past the motion-limiting l of the car-bodyv to the truck-frame asthe means therefor. Y

2. The combination with air-brake mechanism for a railway car, of adjusting means carried upon the car-body and operable to vary the braking power of said brake mechanism, an actuating member for said adjusting means, means limiting motion of said actuating member, and means lconnecting said actuating member with the unsprung portion of the car-truck, said connecting means comprising parts frictionally connected and .relatively movable to compensate variations in the relation of the car-body and truck of a magnitude tending to cause excessive movement of the actuating member.

3., The combination with the air-brake mechanism of' a railway car, of a member` associatedwith VtheY brake-levers and normallyv yieldableA to enable a predetermined motion of the brake-levers in aA direction tending to increase Vthe travel of the brakepiston required to apply the brakes, means for restricting the motion of said member to reduce the,` piston-travel,` means controlling said restricting means, means limiting motion of ysaid controlling means, and "means connected withA said,v controlling means and movableV by variation in the relation of the` car-body, to the unsprung yportions ot the Vcar-truck, said connecting means comprising parts frictionally connected andjrelatively movablel to compensate4 excessive variations in the relation of the car-body and truck.

4. Aload-controlled power-adjusting mechj 'i Y' nism for airbrakes of `railway cars, `comprising a` member forming a `brake-lever-l fulcrum ad ustin .means `connectedxfwith sieV said `fulcrum-member and. 'normally4 yieldj ,i

the load of the car exceeds a determined cars, comprising a frameafiixedto the carbody, .a member slidable longitudinallyAv in said trame, means ier connecting said member with a bi'ale-lever-fulcrum, al spring arranged to hold said vslidable vmember in` a de-.

termined relation to the frame when lthe i brakes are released, said spring being yieldbrake-lever 'connection as the' bralresare applied, an Vinterponentmovable to a position for preventing movement of the slidable member, and means for actuating said interlponent to said position, said actuating means being controlled by variation in the relation car is loaded.V -V

kGLA load-controlled,V power-adjusting mechanism for the air-brakes Vof railway cars, comprising Va frame aiviixed to the carbody,'.a member slidable longitudinally [in said frame,im ea ns for connecting said member with a brake-lever, a .spring normally holdingA said slidable member .in a determined relation'to thejframe, said spring being yieldable to enable falimitedimove- `able to'enable limitedmovement Vot the ment of said member when the brake-lever 'connection is under tension, an interponent associated with the slidable member and movableto a position for preventing movement thereof relative to the frame, and a load-controlled rocker for actuating said interponent. 1

7. A load-controlled power-adjusting mechanism for the air-brakes of railway cars, comprising a frame aHiXed to the carbody, a member slidably mounted in said frame, means connecting said member with a brake-lever, a spring normally holding said slidable member in a determined relation to the frame, said spring being yieldable to enable a limited movement of said member when the brake-lever connection is `under tension, an interponent associated with the slidable member and movable to a position for preventing movement of said member relative to the frame, yielding means normally holding said interponent in position to allow motion of the slidable member from its normal position, a loadcontrolled rocker, a latch-plate carried by Y the rocker and engageable with the interits normal position.

ponent to move the same from its normal position while the slidable member is in normal position, said latch-plate being yieldable to enable return of the slidable member to normal position When the rocker is moved to position for actuating the interponentv while the slidable member is displaced from 8. In a mechanism of the class described,

a frame, a rod slidably mounted therein, a

spring disposed about said rod and engaging a collar thereon to normally hold the same against a stop, a swivel-block disposed upon said rod and having lugs normally registering with notches in the frame, a portion of the spring engaging said swivel-block and tending to hold thehsame at a position in which the lugs are dlsengaged from' the notches, and means for actuating the swivel- 9. Ay structure asset forth in claim 8, in

which the actuating means for the swivelf block comprises a pivotally mounted rocker having an arm extending adjacent to the swivel-block, yieldable means carried upon v said rocker-arm and engageable with the swivel-block only when the rod is adjacent to its normal position, and load-controlled means forl actuating said rocker. Y Y

10. A structure as set forth in claim 8, in which the actuating means for the swivelblock comprises a pivotally mounted rocker having an arm extending adjacent to the swivel-block, meanscarried uponsaid arm and engageable with the swivel-block when the rod is adjacent to its normal position, and means for connecting the rocker with a member which is variable in relation thereto by changes of the truck-spring-compression due to loading of a car.l j

11. The combination with air-brake mechanism for a railway car, and power-adjusting means operable to vary the braking power of saidbralre mechanism, of a controlling member for said power-adjusting means, means for limiting movement of said controlling member, and means for connectmg said controlling member with a part which is variable in relation thereto by changes of the truck-spring-compression due to loading andV unloading of the car, said connecting means comprising parts normally clutched together rictionally in fixed relation to each other, and adapted for relative movement by slippage of the vfrictional clutch when the relation of the connected parts is varied in excess of the amount required to actuate the controllingmember.

CHARLES o. ANDERsoN. 

